Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-02-04
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Daily Eagle.
A CANE THAT WAS LOST.

ana lie was the greatest KING the land
had ever had. He had nine palaces full
Of bric- a-brac, which was very valuable
because it was Good for nothing-likc all
brica-brac. And he had nine palaces
for feasting, and dancing, and music,
and sleeping; but no one could ever in
vent way for him to be in all his pal
aces at once, which greatly troubled the
King Indeed he could only manage to
occupy one small seat in one corner of
one room of one palace, and that always
troubled the king. And he had nine
palaces for games, for King Fohi was q
great gamester, and nobody had ever
beaten him at game of chess, or of
checkers, or of backgammon, or cards,
for if they had beaten him their heads
would have been cut off, as a warning to
all gamesters. Now there was one game
that the king lov.d above all others, and
in playing which he spent ten hours every
day. of eleven months in every year; all
the rest OF his spare time the great King
spent in ruling his empire, when not
sleo ping or eating. This game in which
the King SO dearly enjoyed himself was
nincmen' s-norris. His Prime Minister
kept careful tally of all the games
Fohi played, and the great Chamberlain
provided the states on which he played
them. After each game the King broke
the slate over the Chambcrlain's head.
and shouted for another / need not tell
you that this officer looked out 10 provide
very thin states. But the broken pieces
made q hill so high that the boys slid
down il in winter and enjoyed themselves
almost as well a., the King himself.
Ali this was very natural, as you see,
for kings and boys like to enjoy them
J,rtf !,
ful thing that has ever been heard OF;
not only in Fohi's Kingdom, but in all the
line Kingdoms that surround the north
pole. King Fohi awoke enc morning and
called for his chocolate and Il slate The
cook and the Chamberlain few to obey.
The Prime Minister in full dress read off
the mighty record of the royal proves,
and with his trumpet thrust ont of the
royal windows, challenged all the kings
Of this world, and of ali the worlds, to
match the King at nine-men s-Inorris.
Then the High Steward, and the great
Sword Bearer. and the Chief of the
Dancers, aud the three Princes Of Bric-a-
brac. and the Chief Judge Of States, all
bowed nine times toward the Great
King; and each in turn handed him one
piece for his game. And tie King. sit
ting on Il great throne, was ready tAplay.
! forgot to tell you that it was the duty
of his SO wives. each one for q single d3v
If eleven months, to play with the King.
On this day the most beautiful of them
all approached DIS bis antagonist Lovely
as the moon il Il bank of white clouds. III
harvest days WIS Laura. All eyes were
upon her as she entered. All breathing
was stopped All hearts ceased beating
Even the King himself for one moment
forgot his game, and opened his mouth
till it was exactly round, and his BIC
eyes were exactly round, and just the size
Of a silver dollar. That was the fatal
moment. When the King had shut his
mouth, and turned TO his slate, he could
not remember the game. In vain he
tried, and tried again. N;nc-men's-lnor-
ris was a lost game. He ordered the
Prime Minister to show him. but the
Prime Minister had forgotten ike the
King. And he cut of the Prime Minister'S
head; then he ordered the Chamberlain,
and the Chief Judge of states and the
Great Fan Bearer and all the historians
Df the palace; bpt not one could remcm-
beg even Il hint of the game On this all
important matter every memory was
suddenly blank. The Chief Of the Fire
Blowers suggested fe, ii, 70, fun. bat he
lost his head like the rest. Laura seeing
that her turn would soon Gene like the
rest, said, 80 Fohi. Let the 100 white
dogs and the lG0 holy reindeer. and tie
1870 sacred foxes be at once DISPATCHED
into all the circles that surround the
pole, and let inquiry be made every
where, if anywhere there be one who
can come 10 the palace and restore the
lost game.
Then the King ordered, and the rein
deer, and the foxes flew. each one down
a separate line OF longitude, and for
thirty days the drivers of the white dogs
made proclamation: 'Iio! all the subjects
of the superb and pu;ssant Lord Fohi
Proclamation is made that whoever can
restore the lost game Of nine-men 's-mor-
ris shall be made Lord Chamberlain ef
the Kingdom, and shall be Lord of the
Pole. and shall have the states of the
great King broken over his head And
the drivers of the holy reindeer. all of
whom were high priests, proclaimed:
t'Ho. all the subjects Of the mighty King
Fohi! Whoever will come to the palaces
and restore the lost game of nine-men's-
morris, shall have his sins forgiven for
1000 years, and, after death SHALL sit in
ide the inner circle, near the hottest fires,
and where the biggest kettle of whale
hlubber boils, and he shall eat for 20. 600
years, and he shall sleep for 30. 600
years, and he shall never he compelled To
work, or to so hungry, any more forever
and ever And the drivers of the white
foxes made proclamation: ''IIo, all sub
jects of the most glorious Monarch Fohi!
IL any one shall come to the palaces. and
restore the lost game of the nine-men's-
morris, he shall be made Knight of the
Sleeve Button, and he shall be decorated
with the decoration of eleven letters-S.
Il. q u. w. Il. \. ". Q. X. E.-ail of
which are bestowed only for particular
merit, as such letters are given in all
other lands, and he shall wear the royal
night cap, and shall be Chief of the
Synod of O. +. s.
But the reindeers and the dogs and
foxes went in vain; and their drivers
cried in vain. What Laura s beauty had
done in the palace, fear and amaZament
had done for all the people. Every one,
in one moment, had forgotten nine-men's-
morris 1t was. alas. n lost game Then
the palace went into mourning. and the
people tasted for nine days and nine
hours; and every man let his beard grow.
and every woman refrained from shop
ping. And they sacrificed 900 white
bears; and the priests said PRAYERS nine
hours long, for nine successive DAYS. But
nothing came of it, Had the gods too
forgotten the game, or was this judg-
ment they had visited on their votaries?
Whenever anyone spoke of the lost game
=